The Nutcracker Part 4 FINALE! - Photo Series

 

Hey guys! Ahhh! Can you believe it's the finale? I really hope you guys liked The Nutcracker, I put so much time and effort into it. Thanks for bearing with me this crazy Christmas season and all the encouraging comments, you guys are awesome!

 

Cast

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

 

So, are you ready? Here it is... The finale of The Nutcracker :)

 

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I blinked my eyes as I looked at the person making way through the crowd, I almost didn't believe it.

 

 

But it was her, it was Aunt Marissa! When she finally got through the huge crowd, she called my name again, "Clara!"

 

 

I ran over to her and gave her a hug, she whispered in my ear and asked, "Are you ok?"

 

 

"I'm ok," I replied as I pulled myself away from her arms, "But I don't understand, how-"

 

 

 But before I could finish I heard James say, "Drosselmeyer?"

 

 

"Drosselmeyer?" I said in surprise. I had never herd anyone call my aunt by her last name, and that he knew her name in the first place threw me into even more confusion.

 

 

"Aunt Marissa, what's going on? You know James? And why does he call you by your last name?"

 

 

 "Clara, she's my second hand," James told me.

 

 

"What?" I responded quietly.

 

 

"Yes my dear," Aunt Marissa began, "I was appointed to help raise the Prince many years ago. I live here in this land, I have for a long time,"

 

 

"What happened? I don't really remember anything," James asked.

 

 

"After the spell took full affect I requested that I take you through the portal. Everything I had tried before failed. I hoped something in another world, Clara's world, would break the spell."

 

 

"The portal is only open midnight on Christmas Eve, and midnight on Christmas. I would go to Clara's world and come back the second time the portal was open. The Rat King found out what I was doing, and knew if I succeeded, it would ruin his plans. I had to leave you where I knew you'd be safe, so I gave you to Clara. I underestimated the Rat King, he found me in Clara's house, that's when the spell was broken."

 

 

"How did you break the spell?" James asked, still sounding a little confused.

 

 

"I didn't break the spell," Aunt Marissa began,

 

 

"Clara did,"

 

 

I looked at my aunt in shock, "Me? But how could I have broken the spell? There's nothing special about me, I'm just an ordinary girl."

 

 

"That's not true Clara," Aunt Marissa told me, "You're very special, you always have been. You're kind, sincere, and you make others feel special.... You care about others more than yourself."

 

 

"Everything Priscilla wasn't," James said.

 

 

"Who's Priscilla?" I asked.

 

 

"The girl I was set to marry," James said, then paused.

 

 

"You did it..... You broke the spell," He said, smiling at me. I still had a difficult time believing it. I've always seen myself as just a simple girl, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I could do so important as breaking a spell on a prince.

 

 

 I turned to my aunt and said, "That's why you only stay until after the party isn't it? You have to come back here."

 

 

 She nodded and said, "Yes, and that's why I must take you home now,"

 

 

"What? But I-I- " I tried to protest, but deep down inside I knew she was right.

 

I looked over at James, who looked sad but managed a small smile. I couldn't say anything. I didn't trust myself, I knew I would cry.

 

 

 

"It will be ok Clara," James said to me.

 

 

"I don't want to leave this place, I don't want to leave you," I told him.

 

 

He took my hand and said kindly, "I wish you could, but you have family and friends who need you, and I think you know you'd regret it. I'm sorry Clara, but you must go back,"

 

 

I felt tears streaming down my cheeks, I tried to stop them, but it seamed the harder I tried the more they came. "I'm never going to see you again, am I?" I managed to say.

 

 

"No, We will meet again," James said, taking both my hands.

 

 

Suddenly I felt gentle hands placed on my shoulders. "I'm sorry Clara, but we must go," she said to me. I then felt her slowly pulling me away.

 

 

"James, I-" I tried to say but failed.

 

 

 "Goodbye Clara," James said to me, but I couldn't say anything back.

 

 

I could not hold back the tears as Aunt Marissa pulled me farther and farther away,

 

 

With everything I had I tried to hold on,

 

 

But I couldn't.

 

 

As we lost our grasp on each others hands James called out to me, "We'll meet again!"

 

 

"I promise, we'll meet again!"

 

 

Then I turned, and left with my aunt. I left a place I never even knew existed,

 

 

A place I knew I would never see again.

 

 

I slowly followed my aunt out of the castle and into the forest.

 

 

But I had to stop and look back,

 

 

I just wanted to look at the castle, just once more.

 

 

Aunt Marissa placed her hand on my arm. I turned to her, unable to hide my sadness. "I'm sorry Clara, but I don't only have a responsibility to the royal family but also to yours, I must get you home,"

 

 

 

I silently looked back one more time,

 

 

then turned to follow her deeper into the forest.

 

 

As we walked so many thoughts raced through my head.

 

 

"I wasn't even able to say goodbye," I thought to myself in regret.

 

 

I quietly walked the same path as Aunt Marissa, thinking of all that had happened,

 

 

When suddenly,

 

 

"AHHHH!!"

 

 

"Ugh!" I gasped as my body hit the floor.

 

 

I pulled myself off the floor, then looked around to realize that I was back in my living room.

 

 

I turned to the tree and it was no longer unmeasurable heights, but the same size it was before.

 

 

I darted for the fireplace, then started running my hand down the bricks, but nothing happened.

 

 

"It was a dream," I realized.

 

 

"But, it was so real,"

 

 

"He was so real...."

 

 

"Good morning Clara," I heard someone say. I whipped myself around to see it was Emma.

 

 

"Merry Christmas!" She said cheerfully.

 

 

"Good morning Emma!" I said, trying to put my thoughts behind me, "Merry Christmas!"

 

 

Emma walked over and picked up the pillow that had been knocked on the floor. "Was there something wrong with the way I made your bed?" She asked, genuinely concerned.

 

 

"Oh no not at all! I just-" then I paused, I suddenly realized something was missing.

 

 

I frantically began to search the room.

 

 

Emma carefully arranged the pillows on the coach, then asked, "Are you ok?"

 

 

"Yes, Uh... You haven't seen my nutcracker anywhere have you?" I replied.

 

 

She thought for a moment, then said, "No, I don't think I have, but if you'd like I would be happy to help you find it,"

 

 

I smiled at Emma's kindness, "Oh no Emma! Today is Christmas, it's your day off, you should be getting ready to see your family. Now you go ahead and get ready, your coach leaves at ten."

 

 

Emma grinned and said, "thank you Clara."

 

 

"Merry Christmas!" My mother chimed as she entered the room.

 

 

"Merry Christmas Mother," I replied as she approached.

 

 

"Why Clara!" Mother exclaimed, "You're still in your nightgown, why don't you run along up stairs and put on your Christmas dress, breakfast will be done soon."

 

 

"Ok, mother," I said before rushing to my room.

 

 

I decided that I should stop worrying about my dream, but the truth was I couldn't, so many thoughts, emotions, and feelings I had never felt before. Never had I had a dream like that.

 

 

I came out of my room, I had changed into my long blue dress,

 

 

and had tied a red bow in my hair. I was fixing my dress, and wasn't paying much attention to what was ahead of me.

 

 

I looked up as I turned the corner, and was shocked to see someone standing in front of me. "Aunt Marissa?!?" I shrieked in disbelief.

 

 

"Merry Christmas my dear!" She said to me.

 

 

"Oh my goodness! I can't believe you're here! I thought you went-" then I suddenly stopped myself, "I thought you went home,"

 

 

"I was going to, but I got a telephone call when I got back to my hotel room, I was offered a job at the Downtown theater!"

 

 

"Oh Aunt Marissa that's wonderful!" I exclaimed.

 

 

"Yes, so now my assistant and I will be living with you and family for a while," Aunt Marissa said happily as we walked towards the living room.

 

 

"Your assistant?" I asked.

 

 

"Yes, the act is hard to do alone, and the theater won't have Emma there to help me." She said jokingly, "So I hired an assistant to help me on stage, he's in the living room waiting to meet you."

 

 

I followed her into the living room and froze when I saw the person standing at the other end of the room....

 

 

It was James! At least I thought it was James. But it couldn't be, it was just a dream.... Wasn't it?

 

 

"This is my niece, Clara," Aunt Marissa said as she began to introduce us.

 

 

 I slowly walked forward, I curtseyed, then managed a small "How do you do?"

 

 

"Clara, this is my assistant-" my aunt began, but before she could finish, mother called for her.

 

 

"Oh, excuse me," she said as she left the room.

 

 

We stood in awkward silence for a moment, then he said, "Hello Clara."

 

 

"Hello," I said, still quite uncomfortable.

 

 

He then turned to the bookcase that stood against the wall, and picked up a small box.

 

 

Then he turned to me. "I got this for you," he said as he handed it to me.

 

 

I was totally astonished! "Thank you," I said as I slowly took the box into my hands.

 

 

I started pulling a back ribbon off the white box,

 

 

And pulled off the top of the box, then my eyes grew wide at what I saw.... It was a nutcracker! Just like the one I lost!

 

 

"I told you I'd come back." He said with a smile.

 

 

I looked up at him, "It wasn't a dream..... Was it?" I asked.

 

 

"No Clara, it was very real. But  no one must know about my land, your world isn't ready for us, it must be kept secret."

 

 

"I understand, I shall tell no one," I said, still in shock, "I can't believe you're here."

 

 

He was going to say something, but before he could, mother called from the other room, "Children! Breakfast is ready!"

 

 

"We're coming mother!" I replied as I set my nutcracker and it's box on the couch.

 

 

We started to make our way to the dinning room.

 

 

"Clara, Merry Christmas," he said to me.

 

 

I smiled warmly, "Merry Christmas James."

 

 

THE END

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And my very first photo series comes to a close, thank you all so much for reading! I'll still be doing a Q & A with the cast and bloopers in a few weeks as well. So how was your Christmas? I would love to hear about what you got in the comments! Have a wonderful day y'all!

- Katie :)

 

P.S. It's 346 days until Christmas! Come on, did you really think you'd get out of a Christmas Bonanza post without me telling you this? ;)